# Why did the most highbrow niche cable channels become the most lowbrow? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 12, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969 "2013-01-12T16:33:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/41 "2013-01-18T13:38:12Z")
I stumbled across this tidbit about the fate of the History Channel > [@](#): > > One big reason for the network’s decay is that the Smithsonian Institution, which was one of the go-to organizations for the History Channel in their early days, is now under an exclusive deal with Showtime where they produce programming around Smithsonian exhibits and properties for their exclusive Smithsonian Channel, which is not allowed to decay by design, while Showtime and CBS maintain rights to the institution’s film library. Showtime, of course, isn’t about to do anything to help its competitor, thus History has to look for other ideas to fill their broadcast day. From [TV Tropes - Network decay](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NetworkDecay) [TV Tropes - Network decay: Total abandonment](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/NetworkDecay/TotalAbandonment) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/42 "2013-01-18T13:46:11Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > How is it that the most highbrow channels seem to have become the most lowbrow without stopping anywhere in the middle? Oddly enough, this phenomena seems to have afflicted formerly high brow channels much severely than more middle of the road niche cable channels. Perhaps this is because to a certain extent, genres in which it is possible to be highbrow are also genres in which it is possible to be lowbrow (symphony vs. hip hop pop, historically accurate documentary vs honey boo boo.) So they can stoop to being lowbrow without changing their genre. Whereas for genres like sci-fi, the concept of highbrow vs lowbrow is not as well defined. ---
**Author:** ![PacifistPorcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PacifistPorcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PacifistPorcupine)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/43 "2013-01-18T13:54:27Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > You just hit on another good reason for a la carte. if a la carte programming was an option, I’d get like 15 channels. probably still pay $100 but I’d be much happier about it. ---
**Author:** ![Mithras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mithras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithras)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/44 "2013-01-18T14:21:04Z")
Doomsday Preppers is probably the most disappointing show for me. I’ve never actually watched it, but every time I see that it’s on in the guide (which is every time I page past NatGeo) I read it as Doomsday Peppers. For a couple seconds I wonder what could possibly make them doomsday peppers. That’s got to be some quality TV. I catch the ‘r’ I missed right before I check it out and am crushed just a little bit. Every time. More to the point of this thread, if it had really been Doomsday Peppers then when I’m at the bar tonight I’d probably start at least one conversation with, “So I was watching this show about peppers the other day…” When I finished relating what I thought was the most fascinating pepper story ever, somebody else would cut in to regale us with something they saw about a guy who built a multi-story bunker in his back yard. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/45 "2013-01-18T14:58:32Z")
Reason #53 that I love the BBC, and [BBC4](http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour) in particular. We’ve got a sexy Danish political drama, a documentary about Thomas Chippendale (the chairmaker, not the male stripper), a Polish spy drama, a show about steam train journeys of the world, an interview with the late Sir Patrick Moore, a travel show, and…Glen Campbell. And no commercials ever (apart for other programs). The license fee is well-deserved, say I. BBC4 also hosts one of the most highbrow television game shows anywhere, [Only Connect](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lskhg). Play the Wall if you dare. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/46 "2013-01-18T15:02:05Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > a documentary about Thomas Chippendale (the chairmaker, not the male stripper) I thought he was both, like the late Earn Warren. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/47 "2013-01-18T15:27:40Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > If one channel had huge success with an orchestra of monkeys who could fart in tune, we’d have wall to wall monkey butts within a half-season. It wouldn’t be country music, would it? I really liked the idea until my wife pointed out it would probably be country music. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/48 "2013-01-18T17:43:39Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > If one channel had huge success with an orchestra of monkeys who could fart in tune, we’d have wall to wall monkey butts within a half-season. I’d watch that. > [@campp](#): > > I was SO excited to hear there was to be a Science Fiction cable channel. > > Bleh. There was and it was awesome. It gave us all the awesome shows in the quote below. Now it is dead. > [@Mahaloth](#): > > I look less down on Syfy(Scifi) than networks like The Learning Channel or Bravo. > > Syfy still has science fiction and fantasy shows on the air. And they gave us Farscape, Battlestar, a lot of Stargate, as well as many others. First Wave, Warehouse 13, Alphas, and quite a few others, even recently. > > I know they have wrestling and some ridiculous ghost shows, but they have decayed less and I am happy for their existence and would take them over nothing. That was when it was SciFi. Then they decided they wanted to “brand” so they can make money off of the “brand” and since you can’t copyright “SciFi” they changed to SyFy. Now all the “science fiction” shows are “Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopuss”, “Mega Snake Vs. Giant Fish”, “Mega Werewolf Vs. Giant Werewolf Hunter” and “Mega Butterfly Vs. Giant Woman with Giant Bush”. > [@Gyrate](#): > > Reason #53 that I love the BBC, and [BBC4](http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour) in particular. We’ve got a sexy Danish political drama, a documentary about Thomas Chippendale (the chairmaker, not the male stripper), a Polish spy drama, a show about steam train journeys of the world, an interview with the late Sir Patrick Moore, a travel show, and…Glen Campbell. And no commercials ever (apart for other programs). The license fee is well-deserved, say I. > > BBC4 also hosts one of the most highbrow television game shows anywhere, [Only Connect](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lskhg). Play the Wall if you dare. Those sound boring. I’ll take “Honey Boo Boo”, “Duck Dynasty” or “Ow! My Balls” over those. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/49 "2013-01-18T19:08:44Z")
Actually, I believe the broadcaster has to also rent bandwidth from the service provider: you cannot just make up a channel and demand a slot in the cable/satellite lineup. Then some amount of subscription revenue goes to the broadcaster, which helps pay the rent for their channel. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/50 "2013-01-18T19:12:37Z")
I’ve never heard that; I always understood that the cable company paid a fixed amount per subscriber to the cable channel, but never heard that cable channels had to pay “rent” to the cable company. Do you have any further information on that? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/51 "2013-01-19T00:01:05Z")
I cannot find the specific piece, but I got that impression from reading an article on the Qataris buying up al Gore’s network a few weeks back. And really, it makes sense. Consider the premiums, why should ComQwest have to make an effort to sell Starz! to subscribers without some kind of guarantee that they can get direct revenue from the channel? ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/52 "2013-01-19T01:42:41Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > I’d watch that. > > There was and it was awesome. It gave us all the awesome shows in the quote below. Now it is dead. > > That was when it was SciFi. Then they decided they wanted to “brand” so they can make money off of the “brand” and since you can’t copyright “SciFi” they changed to SyFy. > > Now all the “science fiction” shows are “Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopuss”, “Mega Snake Vs. Giant Fish”, “Mega Werewolf Vs. Giant Werewolf Hunter” and “Mega Butterfly Vs. Giant Woman with Giant Bush”. > > Those sound boring. I’ll take “Honey Boo Boo”, “Duck Dynasty” or **“Ow! My Balls”** over those. Hey! When is “Ow! My Balls” on and on what channel? I’ve seen “Honey Boo Boo” and “Duck Dynasty”, and I’ve decided to watch high quality medical shows as well.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/53 "2013-01-19T02:07:39Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > “Mega Butterfly Vs. Giant Woman with Giant Bush”. Day and time please? For PVR purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/54 "2013-01-19T12:49:50Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > Hey! When is “Ow! My Balls” on and on what channel In all seriousness, I’m truly surprised someone hasn’t actually tried to make this show.\* \*And no, _[Wherever]'s Funniest Home Videos_ doesn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/55 "2013-01-19T13:12:33Z")
Ahhhhh, so the “F” in AFV stands for “funny”. I would have thought it stood for something else entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/56 "2013-01-19T16:51:06Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > In all seriousness, I’m truly surprised someone hasn’t actually tried to make this show.\* > > \*And no, _[Wherever]'s Funniest Home Videos_ doesn’t count. Why not? OK, how about Jackass. Let’s face it, “Ow My Balls” isn’t the future of television, it’s the past. Of course, people are still spouting that old (and wrong) chestnut about us being the product, so obviously some TV watchers just don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/57 "2013-01-20T02:00:51Z")
So, did The Nashville Network changing to Spike TV count as going more lowbrow, or was it moving up? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/58 "2013-01-20T02:05:37Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > So, did The Nashville Network changing to Spike TV count as going more lowbrow, or was it moving up? It’s like a Möbius strip of class. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/59 "2013-01-20T02:26:36Z")
If I’m the product, why aren’t they paying me rather than the other way around? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969/60 "2013-01-20T05:12:10Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > If I’m the product, why aren’t they paying me rather than the other way around? 😛 The main purpose of the subscription is to motivate you to watch the programming, thus putting eyes/ears on the ads (curse that mute button and DVR FF). If you were not paying for it, you might hardly watch it, but since the subscription costs you money, you might as well watch it to get your money’s worth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-most-highbrow-niche-cable-channels-become-the-most-lowbrow/646969.md?page=4)